As I celebrate Mother’s Day this year, I am grateful to be in CA supporting my amazing daughter Deb in her ongoing battle against leukemia, while I dearly miss my equally amazing daughter Chris and my delightful grandchildren, Carly and Drew. So many different emotions to deal with …

Deb continues with her ups and downs and blood transfusions, as we patiently (or more truthfully, impatiently) await the 8-10 week time frame from her donor lymphocyte infusion of April 1. Early June is when we should have a better indication of whether or not the infusion will work. In the meantime, we are taking it day by day and continue to pray for her recovery.

A big thank you to Deb’s wonderful friends (you know who you are) who have been visiting with Deb and pouring out your love and support, providing energy healing, positive intentions, and beautiful music therapy. And many thanks to Andy, Deb’s unbelievably loving and caring husband, who is so solidly with her day and night. Thank you all for your love, we so appreciate you being with us on this journey.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms out there, and love to all of you who continue to support us with your prayers, concern, cards and messages.

8 Responses to Mother’s Day

Healing Hugs & Warmest Smiles for you, Deb. You are in the best company, with your Mom and Andy. You are certainly their dearest Joy. Continued blessings for you…..wishes are wished, that you feel stronger with each day! You remain in my thoughts.

love and health to you Mary Lou and to Andy and all of Deb’s wonderful friends including Tara and all. DEB we are with you and offer you deepest wishes and great Karma and praying for the return of your health. You are the best and we all need you to get healthy.

Deb Hubsmith
I'm blessed with a beautiful life, wonderful family and friends, and had an exciting career. But, in October 2013, I was suddenly stricken and diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) following a two week illness not unlike a flu. My life changed immediately.

I was treated by Kaiser Permanente Hospital in San Rafael, California for months where I received multiple rounds of chemotherapy. This treatment did not knock out my AML and my only hope for a cure was to go to Stanford Hospital for a bone marrow transplant (BMT) in March of 2014.

The BMT was very intense and painful but I made it out of Stanford alive. I was doing great and growing stronger until November of 2014 when my blood counts again dropped. I am now being treated for a rare bone marrow condition called serous atrophy, which keeps stem cells from functioning/multiplying properly in my bone marrow. I lost a significant amount of weight and have intense fatigue, must avoid public places (due to infection risk), and as a result spend much of my time lying in bed.

I deeply want to live but desire to have a quality of life that includes dance, community, working for environmental/social causes, being able to enjoy time in nature and spend quality time with my beloved newlywed husband Andy Peri.

I am surviving on blood transfusions and am in a place of yearning to survive. I am also open to letting go of this life with grace should my options fade away. What carries me more than anything else is the dramatic, soul-enriching love of family and friends and my own love and acceptance of change and all that has come to pass.